Agenda item

To receive a report from the Leeds Bronze COVID-19 Vaccination Steering Group presenting a high level overview of the Leeds COVID-19 Vaccination Programme and rollout.

The Board received the report of the Leeds Bronze COVID-19 Vaccination Steering Group, which provided a high level overview of the Leeds COVID-19 Vaccination Programme and rollout. The Board also received a ‘just in time’ presentation produced by the Leeds COVID-19 Vaccination Programme outlining the dynamic nature of the programme, which included information on the following:

·  Arrangements for the Leeds COVID-19 Vaccination Programme

·  Types of vaccination settings

·  Prioritisation of people and staff and tackling health inequalities

·  Workforce implications

The following were in attendance:

Ø  Councillor Fiona Venner - Interim Executive Member for Health, Wellbeing and Adults

Ø  Cath Roff - Director of Adults and Health

Ø  Victoria Eaton - Director of Public Health

Ø  Shona McFarlane - Deputy Director Social Work and Social Care Services

Ø  Tony Cooke - Chief Officer Health Partnerships

Ø  Sam Prince - Executive Director of Operations, Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust

Ø  Shak Rafiq - Interim Head of Communications and Engagement, NHS Leeds Clinical Commissioning Group

The Interim Executive Member for Health, Wellbeing and Adults introduced the item and took the opportunity to focus on health inequalities and the need for work to address vaccine hesitancy in some communities. The work undertaken by some of Leeds’ student population to support the vaccination programme and the work of Leeds Healthwatch during the pandemic were also highlighted.

The Executive Director of Operations, Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust and Senior Responsible Officer, Leeds COVID-19 Vaccination Programme provided an overview of the roll out of the vaccination programme in Leeds, culminating in 23 vaccination sites now being operational along with a roving team targeting health inequalities and the harder to reach communities.

The presentation included a video walk through of a vaccination procedure at a vaccination hub and provided the following details:

·  Initial priority groups - The phased vaccination programme initially prioritised care home staff and residents, patients aged 80 and above and frontline health and social care staff. The priority group has now been expanded to cover over 50’s and Clinically Extremely Vulnerable. The priority groups will be broadened following advice from the JCVI.

·  The order of vaccine delivery

·  The prioritisation of the workforce

·  The recruitment campaign to support the delivery of the vaccine

The Chief Officer, Health Partnerships and Chair of LCC COVID-19 Vaccine Co-ordination Group provided an overview of the far reaching impact of the programme in terms of management of unrelated issues such as ensuring gritters treat the roads during recent bad weather and discussions with WYCA regarding bus routes leading to vaccination hubs. Additionally, the Board received assurance that focus remains on Care Home residents and staff, with the programme aware of the variations in Care Home uptake of the vaccine and work was underway to address the reasons for this. Details on the following points were provided:

·  Tackling health inequalities exacerbated during the pandemic;

·  Communications with a strategic focus on improving public and staff knowledge, perceptions and motivations to vaccines but also to ensure information is provided in a range of languages and supported by effective communications and a network of trusted individuals to provide messages to their communities.

Members discussed a number of matters including:

The methods to approach frontline workers – Members queried whether the NHS or GPs had up to date employment data by which to contact frontline workers to receive a vaccination and, acknowledging vaccine hesitancy, the approach to take. The challenge of identifying health and social care staff was acknowledged, initial figures suggested 42,000 but the real total in Leeds was nearer to 60,000. Those employed through NHS or LCC received an invitation through their employer and work undertaken with the Third Sector and independent Care Sector had identified remaining staff. In terms of vaccine hesitancy amongst staff, the NHS had determined that vaccination should not be mandatory but a choice to be encouraged and this informed work to encourage take up, through peer to peer discussions, use of social media and highlighting positive experiences. Although no figures were available on any incidents mandating a vaccine in order to keep working in the sector, there was awareness that a number of Care Homes were taking legal advice and this issue was being debated at a national level.

Identifying trusted local voices to reach communities – the Board discussed the importance of working with local community leaders or local celebrities to encourage groups most hesitant to receive the vaccine. It was acknowledged that some communities do not make use of social media or engage with national media as much as others, so targeting those communities requires new ways of communicating.

Frontline workers not in the top four groups identified for early vaccination – Members questioned whether there was flexibility to encompass other frontline workers not currently identified, such as police officers and supermarket staff. While noting the NHS was only licensed to deliver the vaccine to identified groups, it was reported that work had been done to provide flexibility to encompass Third Sector, Voluntary Sector and unpaid carers within the ‘social care providers’ group, however the categories reflect those most affected by the First Wave of the pandemic and therefore deemed at greater risk. Discussions were being held at a national level, recognising the support to extend the categories but any change would need to have regard to the timing of the cohort to be vaccinated.

The efficacy of some vaccines against some strains of the virus – Reference was made to studies undertaken however the key message remained that all vaccines are a protective measure against all strains of the virus prevalent in the UK. The spread of the different strains was monitored and in Leeds, 80% of the cases were the ‘Kent strain’ against which the Oxford Astra Zeneca vaccine works well. There was no evidence to suggest that the ‘South African’ strain would surge like the Kent strain.

The capacity required to facilitate the second vaccine dose and availability of the vaccine – planning had begun to structure the roll out of the second dose to the four high priority groups at the same time as administering first doses to the lower priority groups. Sufficient vaccine was available to complete the planned vaccinations and supply will be reviewed once Government guidance is available on the expanded cohorts. The current challenge remained vaccine hesitancy and encouraging high level of community confidence in the vaccine rather than lack of supply

(Councillor Latty and Councillor Lay left the meeting at this point)

Vaccination programme within prisons and for the Homeless – With regards to HMP Wealstun, HMP Leeds and Wetherby Young Offenders Institute, all healthcare staff had been vaccinated and discussions were ongoing over how to reach residents over the age of 65. It was noted that the city centre Primary Care Network had taken the decision to offer the vaccine to all Homeless persons within the city.

The Chair acknowledged the amount of work undertaken to achieve the current position regarding the vaccination programme and expressed the thanks of the Board to all the teams involved in the programme.

RESOLVED – That the contents of the update report and the comments made by the Scrutiny Board be noted.

(Councillor Wray left the meeting at this point)